Atomic capacitor

ABSTRACT

This invention describes a capacitor that formed by a charge or species specific membrane material filled with aqueous or non-aqueous liquid with soluble salts dissolved and non-dissolved in solution and contained within the membrane material. When charged, the oppositely charged ion will leave the structure, leaving behind a charged atomic capacitor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/826,053, entitled “ATOMIC CAPACITOR” filed Nov. 29, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/492,406, entitled “ATOMIC CAPACITOR” filed Apr. 20, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,859,066 issued on Jan. 2, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/120,497, entitled “ATOMIC CAPACITOR” filed on May 27, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,633,798 issued on Apr. 25, 2017, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/855,769, entitled “ATOMIC CAPACITOR” filed on May 24, 2013, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a specially designed capacitor and or capacitor/membrane combination for use in electrochemical devices such as but not limited to capacitive or radial deionization whereby the majority of the capacitance of the system is derived from isolated ions within the charge specific membrane spheres or material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Objects and Advantages of Certain Embodiments

Accordingly, several objects and advantages of our invention are:

-   -   a) The atomic capacitor can reach a capacitance density of up to         5,000 F/cc or greater which is up to 50 times or greater than         state of the art materials.     -   b) The atomic capacitor material can be structured so as to be         an integrated electrode/membrane monolith.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention describes a capacitor that is made up of a charge specific membrane material with highly soluble salts dissolved and non-dissolved in solution and surrounded by the charge specific membrane material. Each atomic capacitor containing the ion charged material consists of a porous anionic membrane material with a high concentration of aqueous or non-aqueous solution saturated with high solubility salts and a porous cationic membrane also filled with saturated aqueous or non-aqueous solution. When each is charged, the oppositely charged ion will leave its respective membrane, leaving behind a charged atomic capacitor, ready to reabsorb ions of interest in application.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1: Purification cycle of electric double layer capacitor deionizer.

FIG. 2: Rejection cycle of electric double layer capacitor deionizer.

FIG. 3: Atomic capacitor spheres filled with salt in aqueous or non-aqueous or solution.

FIG. 4: Charge specific membrane material with voids filled with salt in aqueous or non-aqueous solution.

FIG. 5: Carbon electrode material containing hollow spheres filled with salt in aqueous or non-aqueous or solution.

FIG. 6: Integrated carbon electrode and charge specific membrane material with voids filled with salt in aqueous or non-aqueous solution and carbon.

FIG. 7: Table of highly soluble aqueous salts and estimated capacitance.

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   11—Cationic membrane sphere shell -   12—Anionic membrane sphere shell -   13—solution with dissolved and non-dissolved salt. -   15—cations -   17—anions -   19—electric field generator -   31—charge specific membrane material -   33—capacitor spheres -   35—cationic spheres -   37—anionic spheres -   51—carbon electrode -   55—current collector -   71—capacitor -   73—Mixed carbon electrode, membrane, and capacitor spheres in one     layer -   75—Super capacitor carbon

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In an electric double layer capacitor system such as but not limited to the concentric capacitive deionization Radial Deionization device from Atlantis Technologies, two oppositely charged capacitors are separated by a dielectric flow channel and two charge specific membranes. In the purification mode, cations are attracted to the negatively charged carbon electrode and anions are attracted to the positively charged carbon electrode. Each type of ion passes through a membrane whose charge affinity is the same as the ion (positive or negative). After it passes through, it adsorbs onto the surface of the carbon particles that make up the carbon electrode. See FIG. 1.

Once the purification cycle is complete or the carbon electrodes are full of their respective ions, the polarity of the electric double layer capacitor is switched and the ions are pushed away from the carbon, through the membrane, into the spacer and up against the opposite side membrane. Because the membranes are charge specific, these rejected ions cannot pass through and adsorb onto the other carbon electrode and flush out of the system. See FIG. 2.

This invention proposes the partial or complete replacement of the carbon electrodes and charge specific membrane with charge specific membrane material that contains aqueous or non-aqueous solution that is saturated with high solubility salts such as but not limited to sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, ammonium salts, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, indium bromide, or any other high solubility salt that dissolved and non-dissolved in aqueous or non-aqueous solution.

When the atomic capacitor material is initially made, the cations and anions from the highly soluble salt are in solution and the solution is contained within the charge specific membrane material 11 or 12, as shown in FIG. 3, which shows atomic capacitor spheres filled with salt in aqueous or non-aqueous or solution. The membrane material could be a porous layer of material with a multitude of holes for the aqueous or non-aqueous solution to reside 31, as shown in FIG. 4, which shows charge specific membrane material with voids filled with salt in aqueous or non-aqueous solution. This combination could also be in the form of hollow spheres containing the salt laden liquid 33, as shown in FIG. 5, which shows carbon electrode material containing hollow spheres filled with salt in aqueous or non-aqueous or solution, or FIG. 6, which shows an integrated carbon electrode and charge specific membrane material with voids filled with salt in aqueous or non-aqueous solution. In either case, it is important that the outside of the material be sealed and that there is no significant pathway for the liquid to leave the interior of the membrane sponge or sphere.

An electric double layer capacitor is formed with one of the charge specific membrane compositions constituting one electrode, and the opposite polarity membrane composition constituting the other as described in the attached drawing as optional. When an initial activation charge is applied to the device in the same orientation as the charge specific membranes (anionic side is charged negative, cationic side charged positive), the anions travel out of the anionic and move into the dielectric spacer towards the positively charged electrode. The cations leave the cationic and travel towards the anionic side. This polarity orientation is same as the “reject cycle”.

By the end of this initial activation charging cycle, most or all of the anions 17 and cations 15 have left the anionic and cationic spheres or pockets respectively and are residing in the dielectric spacer. With the polarity intact, the ejected ions are flushed out of the system by a liquid flowing through the flow channel/dielectric spacer.

After this initial charging cycle, each sphere is now charged to the opposite polarity due to the inability of the trapped ions to leave the sphere or pocket and is now ready to operate on a continuous basis. To operate, the polarity is switched to the “clean cycle” and the previously ejected ion type (anionic or cationic) is reabsorbed by the sphere from the solution flowing through the dielectric spacer flow channel.

The size, shape, and composition of the atomic capacitors can vary. Capacitor can be a stand-alone structure containing a membrane shell filled with aqueous or non-aqueous liquid containing dissolved and undissolved salts (capacitor mixture), as shown in FIG. 6. It can also be a void within a membrane structure which is also filled with capacitor mixture, as shown in FIG. 4. The shape can range from spherical to any shape that would hold volume. The total volume of the capacitor can be as small as the size of a one salt molecule with minimum liquid up to many milliliters. The wall thickness of a stand-alone structure could be the minimum to contain the liquid such as the length of a membrane molecule, a single layer of graphene or other high strength material.

Example 1

An electrode/membrane combination consisting of a porous charge specific membrane material that is filled with a highly soluble salts such as but not limited to metal halides such as sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, ammonium salts, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, indium bromide, or any other high solubility salt that dissolved and non-dissolved in aqueous or non-aqueous solution.

Example 2

Charge specific membrane hollow spheres consisting of charge specific membrane material that is filled with a highly soluble salt such as but not limited to sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, ammonium salts, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, indium bromide, or any other high solubility salt that dissolved and non-dissolved in aqueous or non-aqueous or solution. These spheres can be incorporated into materials used within an electrochemical device such as capacitive deionization systems.

Example 3

An electrode/membrane combination consisting of a porous charge specific membrane material that is filled with a highly soluble salt such as but not limited to sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, ammonium salts, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, indium bromide, or any other high solubility salt that dissolved and non-dissolved in aqueous or non-aqueous solution in combination with traditional capacitance materials such as but not limited to carbon black, activated carbon, and PTFE fibrillating materials.

Example 4

Charge specific membrane hollow spheres consisting of charge specific membrane material that is filled with a highly soluble salt such as but not limited to sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, ammonium salts, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, indium bromide, or any other high solubility salt that dissolved and non-dissolved in aqueous or non-aqueous solution. These spheres can be adhered in some fashion to the current collector with conductive adhesive and act as both the capacitor material and charge specific membrane. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of treating an aqueous stream with a capacitive deionization device, the method comprising: feeding the aqueous stream to a dielectric spacer flow channel of the capacitive deionization device, wherein the aqueous stream comprises at least one anionic species and at least one cationic species; and treating the aqueous stream with the capacitive deionization device to produce a treated aqueous stream; wherein the capacitive deionization device comprises: a first electrode comprising a first plurality of voids; a positive charge specific membrane material positioned proximate the first electrode and proximate the dielectric spacer flow channel; a plurality of anions from a first salt solution residing in the first plurality of voids; a negative charge specific membrane material, the negative charge specific membrane material positioned proximate the dielectric spacer flow channel opposite to the positive charge specific membrane material; a second electrode comprising a second plurality of voids, the second electrode being positioned proximate the negative charge specific membrane material opposite to the dielectric spacer flow channel; and a plurality of cations from a second salt solution residing in the second plurality of voids.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the positive charge specific membrane material comprises a first membrane layer between the first electrode and the dielectric spacer flow channel and/or wherein the negative charge specific membrane material comprises a second membrane layer between the second electrode and the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the negative charge specific membrane material comprises a second membrane layer positioned between the second electrode and the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first salt solution and the second salt solution comprises a salt selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, an ammonium salt, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, and indium bromide.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first salt solution and the second salt solution has a capacitance density of 50,000 F/cc or greater.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first salt solution and the second salt solution is saturated.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first salt solution and the second salt solution comprises a salt selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, an ammonium salt, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, and indium bromide.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first salt solution and the second salt solution has a capacitance density of 50,000 F/cc or greater.
 9. A method of operating a capacitive deionization device, the method comprising: feeding a first aqueous stream comprising first cations and first anions to a dielectric spacer flow channel of the capacitive deionization device, wherein the capacitive deionization device comprises: a first electrode comprising a first plurality of voids; a positive charge specific membrane material positioned proximate the first electrode and proximate the dielectric spacer flow channel; a plurality of second anions from a first salt solution residing in the first plurality of voids; a negative charge specific membrane material, the negative charge specific membrane material positioned proximate the dielectric spacer flow channel opposite to the positive charge specific membrane material; a second electrode comprising a second plurality of voids, the second electrode being positioned proximate to the negative charge specific membrane material opposite to the dielectric spacer flow channel; and a plurality of second cations from a second salt solution residing in the second plurality of voids; while operating in a purification cycle, applying a negative charge to the first electrode to cause at least a portion of the first cations in the first aqueous stream to pass through the positive charge specific membrane material; and while operating in the purification cycle, applying a positive charge to the second electrode to cause at least a portion of the first anions in the first aqueous stream to pass through the negative charge specific membrane material.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: while operating in a rejection cycle subsequent to the purification cycle, applying a positive charge to the first electrode to cause at least a portion of the first cations to pass through the positive charge specific membrane material and into the dielectric spacer flow channel; and while operating in the rejection cycle subsequent to the purification cycle, applying a negative charge to the second electrode to cause at least a portion of the first anions to pass through the negative charge specific membrane material and into the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: while operating in the rejection cycle, flushing the first cations and first anions out of the dielectric spacer flow channel by flowing a liquid through the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the positive charge specific membrane material comprises a first membrane layer between the first electrode and the dielectric spacer flow channel and/or wherein the negative charge specific membrane material comprises a second membrane layer between the second electrode and the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the negative charge specific membrane material comprises a second membrane layer positioned between the second electrode and the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the first salt solution and the second salt solution comprises a salt selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, an ammonium salt, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, and indium bromide.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first salt solution and the second salt solution has a capacitance density of 50,000 F/cc or greater.
 16. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first salt solution and the second salt solution is saturated.
 17. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the first salt solution and the second salt solution comprises a salt selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, an ammonium salt, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, and indium bromide.
 18. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the first salt solution and the second salt solution has a capacitance density of 50,000 F/cc or greater.
 19. A method of preparing a capacitive deionization device for operational use, wherein the capacitive deionization device comprises a first electrode comprising a first plurality of voids; a positive charge specific membrane material, the positive charge specific membrane material positioned proximate the first electrode; a first salt solution comprising first anions and first cations residing in the first plurality of voids; a dielectric spacer flow channel positioned proximate the first charge specific membrane material; a negative charge specific membrane material, the negative charge specific membrane material positioned proximate the dielectric spacer flow channel opposite to the negative charge specific membrane material; a second electrode comprising a second plurality of voids, the second electrode being positioned proximate to the second charge specific membrane material opposite to the dielectric spacer flow channel; and a second salt solution comprising second anions and second cations residing in the second plurality of voids, the method comprising: applying a positive initial activation charge to the first electrode to cause at least a portion of the first cations of the first salt solution to pass through the positive charge specific membrane material into the dielectric spacer flow channel; and applying a negative initial activation charge to the second electrode to cause at least a portion of the second anions of the second salt solution to pass through the negative charge specific membrane material into the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising flushing the passed through first cations and second anions out of the dielectric spacer flow channel by flowing a liquid through the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the positive charge specific membrane material comprises a first membrane layer between the first electrode and the dielectric spacer flow channel and/or wherein the negative charge specific membrane material comprises a second membrane layer between the second electrode and the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the negative charge specific membrane material comprises a second membrane layer positioned between the second electrode and the dielectric spacer flow channel.
 23. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first salt solution and the second salt solution comprises a salt selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, an ammonium salt, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, and indium bromide.
 24. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first salt solution and the second salt solution has a capacitance density of 50,000 F/cc or greater.
 25. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first salt solution and the second salt solution is saturated.
 26. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the first salt solution and the second salt solution comprises a salt selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, antimony trichloride, an ammonium salt, antimony trifluoride, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, and indium bromide.
 27. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the first salt solution and the second salt solution has a capacitance density of 50,000 F/cc or greater. 